Page 20 of Yours

Two days later, Tiffany and I meet up for lunch in the campus café. I usually bring my lunch, so I grab a table and fill up my water bottle.

I’m sneaking a look at my phone when Tiffany arrives. “You sexting someone?” she asks. “Cuz I swear you’ve been tied to that thing ever since you got back.”

I quickly stuff the phone away.

“Are you going to tell me about it or not?” Tiffany asks, stabbing a cherry tomato.

“About what?” I ask, unwrapping my sandwich.

“Whatever’s got you so distracted.” She forks up another bite. “Is it your dad? Are you worried about him?”

I feel my shoulders drop. “No, he’s doing better. Brian said he’d check on him.” My face must change because Tiffany’s eyes turn curious.

“Who’s Brian?”

I’m momentarily tongue-tied because I don’t have an easy answer. “My dad’s business partner.”

She gives me a long look that makes me squirm. “Girl, you better spill it before I beat it out of you.”

I stare at my friend, wondering if this is the right thing to do. I’ve never been much for kissing and telling. Not that I’ve ever had much to tell.

“I…had sex,” I say after making sure no one is close enough to hear me.

Tiffany’s eyes go wide. “Finally! I was starting to think there was something wrong with you.”

My face gets hot. I know she’s just being casual, but this hurts a little.

“Was it someone from home?”

I’m so embarrassed to talk about it any further because those voices start ratting around in my head.Slut, whore, tease. When I was with Brian, I felt good about what we were doing and the way he made me feel. But now that he’s so far away, it’s like I can’t keep the voices quiet.

“Yeah,” I manage.

“So…are you guys, like, staying together? Michigan is pretty far away.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I mean, everything sort of happened fast. We spent a lot of time together when I was home, but we didn’t really talk about it.” I swallow a bite of my PB&J but my throat feels too dry to swallow it.

“Is he in school too?”

“Brian? Oh, sort of. I mean, he never went to college, but he’s taking business classes now. He’s going to take over my dad’s shop.”

Tiffany raises her eyebrow. “So this guy is the same that’s looking after your dad?”

“Uh huh,” I say, realizing how slutty it makes me feel to have lusted after my dad’s business partner.

“Wow.” She sucks down more iced coffee. “Is he hot?”

A flush of heat lights up my face.

“You got it bad, huh?” Tiffany says with a cackle. “Maybe you’ll see him again next time you’re home.”

“Maybe,” I say. “But he hasn’t sent me a message.” I shrug, trying not to show how anxious I am that he’s moved on.Take it for what it was,I tell myself.A tender experience with someone who cares about you.

“All the more reason to come to the Halloween bash on Saturday,” Tiffany sings. “Get yourself a football player and forget all about Mr. Heartbreaker.”

“Who’s Mr. Heartbreaker?” a voice says from behind me.

“No one,” Tiffany says to a guy I’ve seen in one of my classes, Ellis McKeever. Ellis is holding a tray piled with a giant sandwich, a bag of chips, and a coke. Ellis obviously doesn’t have to make his own lunch.

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